Discussion -- 75 Word Challenge -- APRIL

[Moonbat]

It is very hard to make exceedingly good cakes out of elephants and crocodiles

Its not that they don't taste good, it's just tricky to coax them into the oven!

 

[Abernovo]

Not to mention finding an oven big enough.

I see Paw and the Boy are back. I like them. Nice story, Bob.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

A bit of marzipan and some buttercream does bring them up a treat though.

 

[Highlander]

Thanks StormFeather and Mouse for the feedback.

To SF - Same as you, I do not read the other tales until I am happy with my own one but I do then read the others to ensure that I am not duplicating another tale already posted.

And Mouse, no it wasn't your title.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Does it really matter if you have a similar story? It is unlikely they would be word for word identical.

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Boy, am I glad I caught this. I put these into the 300 thread by mistake at first. By the way, I highly doubt that I am going to be posting comments on the 300 challenges, for reasons of time and how I feel physically. That doesn't mean the situation will be ruled out completely, though.



Swamp Fox: What a nasty way to go. I've never really held much faith in terraforming for colonization of planets/moons, and this was a rather harsh drawback. Promises made but unable to be kept; but who is alive to take the fall?


stormcrow: When those who make a promise but hold no intention of keeping it, the promise are just empty words, and it sounds like the narrator isn't exactly holding his breath on the delivery of sugar plums and rainbows. But in his own way he had his honor, in keeping that special book alive at whatever the cost.


luci: Simply for its famous connotations, the term "brave new world" always makes me feel nervous, and this is no exception. You didn't state exactly what happened to the world, but that heightens the story's power as it is left to the reader's imagination, and when that means me, it overacts worse than a cheesy soap opera star. But what really gets to me here is, that the narrator believes everything to be okay enough again to kickstart the race. I guess only time will tell.


Bob: I hate to say this, but this just smacks of redneck hillbilly Baptist style and I find it hilarious in that respect. It's a clashing black/white tone you've set, what with the funny drawl and the dark, serious situation the two find themselves in, but the style you used, to me, just outweighed the sorrow of the piece. Whether that means I'll be going to Hell or whatever, I don't know.


Phoenix: A lot of people ask what love truly is, and to me, the answer is sacrifice. It's touching to see a sister's dedication to her brother, to the point where, even after the brother's death, the sister is willing to risk her own life to fulfill his final wish. No humor at all in this one, but not exactly sad, either, yet emotional all the same.

 

[James Coote]

I took the plunge, giving civilisation a watery grave.

 

[Bob Senior]

Karn,
I have no idea what your comment means, I don't know if I should say thanks or I sure miss Perp Man.
Bob

 

[Christopher Lee]

Alright, I went and did it. Had more free time this past week than I thought I would, so I got it done. This one was tough, with great submissions so far.

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Karn,
I have no idea what your comment means, I don't know if I should say thanks or I sure miss Perp Man.
Bob

Probably the latter, Bob. I probably should have held off on comments today as I've had other things on my mind...

 

[stormcrow]

WarrenPaul - thank you. Glad you liked it. I enjoyed yours - nice twist!

Karn - good of you to take the time to review all these entries. Once again, it's interesting to see what others might see in each entry.

Enjoying reading entries so far. Another big month despite the dual challenge.

 

[Warren_Paul]

WarrenPaul - thank you. Glad you liked it. I enjoyed yours - nice twist!

Thanks, Stormcrow. Though as Karn said; might want to throw that stew out.


@Springs You sure you still want some?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I'm getting lost in the entries, so I thought I'd chuck my hat in and go with commenting, in the hope of keeping up. A poor version compared to Perp, but here goes:

AMB: The benign terminator, going back, just once to save humanity. Redemption through technology. A brilliant first entry

LILMIZFLASHYTHANG: I read this two ways. Saving the one you love from the horrors ahead, and saving the rest of the family from exposure. I loved that the kids were taken out before the horror - the little detail that made the poignancy even more vivid.

KARN: A lone soldier, failing in his first duty, facing the ultimate sacrifice with resolve.

ARKOSE: I loved the final image of the earth just stopping. A cautionary tale of the power of computers.

STARBEAST: As ever, I had a laugh. But, no clowns? I loved the combination of the pleading and the resigned voice of the professor, who, I suspect has seen it all before....

SPRINGS: Oops...

DEO: This is one for TJ, I reckon. How a law can be interpreted, and how a good lawyer can make an astounding case. And who can blame her, what a future. *shudders*

SOUTHORN SWORD: Killer last line. The idea that being green and icky might be better than alive made me smile.

PERP: Winnner of the shortest entry ever? But, the question, that's the key, and there can be only one answer.

ANYA: Terrible doings in fairyland. A really original take, and beautifully written.

REVIER: Cat lovers of the world unite! And then, the tragedy of loneliness, really well captures the desperation of the time

STILLEARNING: Alovely redemptive tale, and I liked the fact that the future doesn't change certain things, it still hurrtts! A nice, rounded story.

ABER: To find our way past personal grief and the courage to carry on. I loved the clumsy bundle of laughter line; so poignant. And I liked that the promise was the absolute centre of the tale.

HOPEWRITES: Gave me a good giggle. I'm glad so many have made me laugh. Another brilliant last line, and the tone of sheer offense has been captured brilliantly.

MOUSE: Beautifully written, and formatted, another ultimate Oh No! moment. The voices are captured brilliantly.

ALC: What seemed the conventional post apocalyspe setting gets turned on its head in the last line. The family dynamics have been brilliantly captured.

GLITCH: Magic, disobedience to a public official; what more could we want? And that it's an official promise sets a wryness that made me smile.

LUIGLIN: I took it that it was a creator or an everlasting being who'd seen their work ruined once more, and wants to see it all the way next time. But, I could be wrong.

HIGH EIGHT: Heroes are like buses? you wait all day and then a whole host of them comes along at once. I want to be in your world come the apocalypse. A great tale.

WP: No, thanks, I'll pass on the stew. I loved the enduring love theme, and there's an image there that's not going away

PERP. MOTION: With friends like that... A nice moral question posed; wouldn't we all do this. Maybe? Well written, too.

STORMFEATHER: A lovely tale of the hope for the future and a beautiful image of a desperate prayer in a desolate world

HEX: From every apocalyspe there comes new hope. This captures the essence of the world as it's own saviour, perfectly, and with the ruins around, a sense of deja vu.

RJ. DANDO: How families can pull together, even brothers and sisters! And the poignancy of that realisation that our parents can't protect us forever.

ALL MY WIRES: Brilliant last line. The horror of staying when all around you are doomed captured so well.


CHOCCOWEEBLE: This captured that truth that human nature and emotions continue no matter what's happened. And the desperation that it was over a crust of bread.

BOWLER1: A brave new world take on the theme, and the sense of disappointment in our elders, combined with the knowledge that they've given us what we need to go on.

TACTICALLOCO: A balanced world, where we all know our place, beautifully captured and written.

CRYSTAL HAVEN: A reminder of how fragile life is, and how one moment of chance can save things. Brilliant last line.

SCOTT FORSHAW: This made me laugh as I imagined an ice cream van in the midst of the apocalyspe. And a familiar set up to every working parent, what now? I'm busy. I really liked this one.

SWAMPFOX: What works on paper, doesn't always transfer. The challenges ahead captured beautifully.

STROMCROW: Another that made me laugh. Scouting with no promises, but what a book to have to hand...

LUCI2ALSO: Here we have a promise broken, and another delivered. Well written, and captures a sense of hope.

BOB S. SNR. I loved it, but I love Paw. Voices are captured so well, and a tiny microcosm of humanity.

PHOENIX THE WRITER: The touch of the old world on the new and a beautifully captured pilgrimage.

OCEANS PROMISE: There's an optimist everywhere. The sense of the world as Atlantis is very moving, and well written.

GRIZZGREEN: Humans as the ultimate destructive toy, and an image of where we coudl have been. I really liked this one.

Gosh, hard work, Perp, I take my hat off to you, and Karn and Hope.

 

[Warren_Paul]

WP: No, thanks, I'll pass on the stew. I loved the enduring love theme, and there's an image there that's not going away

Thanks, Springs. Yes, and I don't think Aaron will be complaining about it either

Glad to know I made an impression.

 

[Abernovo]

Thank you, Springs, for such lovely words of review.

 

[crystal haven]

Thank you, Springs.

 

[r_j_dando]

RJ. DANDO: How families can pull together, even brothers and sisters! And the poignancy of that realisation that our parents can't protect us forever.

Thank you Springs - glad it's coming across well I keep thinking I might give this reviewing lark a try, and then balk at the the challenge...well done!

 

[Aaron Stone]

Back away from the stew, springs...slowly, no sudden movements...
The zombie jaw adds that nice smokey flavor I've been looking for. Thanks, WP.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Thanks Springs - it has been interesting this month to see three quite different views of the same few words.

 

[Luiglin]

LUIGLIN: I took it that it was a creator or an everlasting being who'd seen their work ruined once more, and wants to see it all the way next time. But, I could be wrong.

Cheers for the write-up, but don't worry, in some aspects you're not wrong. However, I think that I messed this one up . There's always next month.